


the joy that fills our hearts (and makes us sing)

by MissSugarPlum



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: (i know right what a shocker i'm in shock), (okay A LOT of holiday cheer), (with a tiny bit of angst thrown in for good measure), Alternate Universe - No Powers, Gen, HEY LOOK I'M BACK, M/M, Not beta-read, and a little bit of holiday cheer as befitting the season, fluffy nonsense, get ready for twelve days of christmas cheer
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-14
Updated: 2016-12-17
Packaged: 2018-09-08 16:39:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 2,813
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8852371
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MissSugarPlum/pseuds/MissSugarPlum
Summary: “Why do it, then?” Len wonders out loud. Barry tilts his head to one side questioningly.“What, the caroling?”“The caroling, the decorating, the baking, the—hell, all of it,” Len tries to clarify, waving a hand around as if to encompass everything he’s attempting to put into words. “If it hurts so much, why do any of it at all?”“But that’s just it,” Barry says softly, and the painful earnestness in his bright gaze almost knocks the breath from Len’s lungs. “Of course it hurts—it’s probably always going to, but it’s not necessarily the bad kind of hurt, you know? …But, every time I do one of those things? It’s a way for me to be with her still, and I’ll forever be grateful that I got to have those amazing experiences with her.”Len contemplates that for several long, silent moments. “So you do it to be close to her,” he ventures, and Barry smiles again before shaking his head, cradling his mug of cocoa close to his chest.“I do it because I love it,” he corrects gently. “Feeling close to her is just a personal advantage. But spreading cheer, making people around me happy, whenever and however I can…” Barry trails off, shrugging slightly. “That’s Christmas to me.”





	1. with angelic host proclaim

**Author's Note:**

  * For [trespresh](https://archiveofourown.org/users/trespresh/gifts).



> HOLY GHOST OF CHRISTMAS PAST, BATMAN, IS IT REALLY HER?!
> 
> Uhhh. I mean. Hi?
> 
> Yes, it's been forever. I suck. AND I suck even more, because OF COURSE this isn't the next chapter of hs!fic, or kashinoha's dear-god-it's-so-late-I'm-so-so- _so_ -sorry birthday fic, or one of the zillion other unfinished works on my computer, but something COMPLETELY NEW. What can I say, except that really, we all shouldn't be surprised.
> 
> ANYHOW, this is for my lovely darling [Hannah](http://cummandercold.tumblr.com), without whom I don't know where I'd be, who is everything good and pure and wonderful in the world and deserves ALL the Christmas giftfic in the world. ILYBB<33
> 
> (Title from Pentatonix's That's Christmas To Me, with one teeny-tiny word change because it fits the story better)
> 
> (Chapter title from Hark! The Herald Angels Sing)

The sterile, bright white of the hospital walls and the gentle whirring of delicate machinery is already familiar and already hated, but Len tries to ignore it as he sits in the uncomfortable chair and takes a limp hand between both of his own. Small fingers twitch faintly, and Len attempts a smile that feels all wrong on his face.

 

“Mm… Lenny?”

 

Just hearing her voice, weak and hoarse as it is from disuse, is enough to send a fissure of soothing relief down Len’s spine. “Hey, sis.”

 

A furrow forms between Lisa’s brows, and her eyelids flutter feebly before going still once more. “What… day?” she questions after a long pause.

 

“It’s the day after Thanksgiving,” Len says softly, and the way Lisa’s hand clenches slightly and her breath catches briefly makes Len’s heart break into a thousand tiny shards.

 

“Already?” she whispers sadly, and Len hates the defeat prevalent in her tone.

 

“It’s normal,” Len says reassuringly, parroting back what the doctor had told him when he had expressed his own concerns. He leans forward, strokes his fingers soothingly through her soft golden locks. “You’re recovering, it’s gonna take time. You know that.”

 

“But… still. Thanksgiving.”

 

“I know. If it makes you feel any better, it wasn’t the same without your yams and constant swearing at football players who can’t even hear you.” Len smiles, wistful and a little bitter, reminiscing about years past filled with Lisa’s warmth and trying not to remember how bleak the day before had been in comparison.

 

Lisa’s hand clenches in his again, though this time it feels like she’s trying to comfort _him_. “Well, if they’d stop… being so stupid,” she argues, lips pulling up teasingly at the corners, and Len can’t help the loud laugh that escapes him.

 

“Focusing on the important things, as always,” he teases gently, and Lisa’s resulting laugh, though halting and hoarse, is the most beautiful thing he’s heard all week.

 

-x-

 

A few days later, Len has just finished his visit with Lisa and is checking out at the nurses’ station before taking his leave when an actually-welcome voice calls out to him.

 

“Mr. Snart,” the doctor says warmly, eyes crinkling at the sides as he claps a friendly hand on Len’s shoulder. “How’s our girl doing?”

 

“Still slow going, but better every day,” Len says with a small smile, in high spirits—Lisa had been able to keep her eyes open throughout almost the entirety of Len’s visit, and he hadn’t realized just how much he had missed seeing his sister’s striking baby blues until they met his own once more.

 

Dr. Allen’s smile widens, and he shakes Len’s shoulder in muted jubilance. “That’s wonderful news, truly. Give her my best when you visit again?”

 

“You know, just because you’re not actually her doctor doesn’t mean you can’t see her yourself,” Len returns, amused but incredibly touched by the doctor’s concern nonetheless.

 

“Oh no, I wouldn’t want to impose,” Dr. Allen says, shaking his head. “I don’t want to interrupt her recovery.”

 

“Understandable,” Len allows, “but I think she’d like to see a face that isn’t mine, every once in a while.”

 

Dr. Allen laughs and looks about to say something else, but a slight commotion at the visitors’ entrance distracts him. He perks up at the sight of about a half-dozen people standing in a group, all wearing Santa hats and fake antlers and other ridiculous outfits, and turns back to Len with a fond smile. “Are you a fan of carolers, Mr. Snart?”

 

Len looks back at the group, several of whom are cheerily greeting two passing nurses, and raises an eyebrow back at the grinning doctor. “It depends on how good the caroling is,” he drawls, and Dr. Allen chuckles good-naturedly.

 

“Quite good,” he assures Len, “though I may be a bit biased—that’s my son there, in the disgustingly bright sweater.”

 

Len looks back at the group and, sure enough, there’s a lurid green sweater with a giant reindeer face covering the front that he has to look away from almost immediately, lest it blind him. “…Wow,” he finally manages, and Dr. Allen laughs again.

 

“He got his over-the-top Christmas spirit from his mother,” he confides mock-exasperatedly. “Me, I’m content with a tree, some stockings, and Grandma Esther’s rather, ah, _pungent_ eggnog.” He raises his eyebrows meaningfully, and Len snorts.

 

One of the carolers, a gorgeous young woman with a luminous smile, steps forward purposefully. She glances back once at the rest of her group before straightening her shoulders and taking a deep breath. “ _Hark, the herald angels sing_ ,” she sings out in a loud, clear voice.

 

“ _Glory to the newborn king_ ,” the rest of the group joins in harmony, and Len is impressed despite himself. He leans slightly against the nurses’ station as they continue through the song, and Dr. Allen joins him, smiling softly.

 

“They’re beautiful,” Len murmurs as the song draws to a close and the hospital staff, patients and visitors that gathered around them start applauding and cheering. The carolers laugh, smile and blush, accepting praise, handshakes and hugs before retreating, presumably to another floor to regale the patients there with their tunes—Len notices Dr. Allen’s son shoot him a large smile and a wave that the doctor merrily returns before hurrying to catch up with the rest of them.

 

“They’re certainly that,” Dr. Allen says, something soft and sentimental and altogether too personal in his gaze, and Len clears his throat roughly before extending a farewell and making a hasty retreat.


	2. hearts will be glowing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello lovelies! Chapter 2 of 12 here, and I know it's only been two days, but hooray for still being on schedule! *fistpump*
> 
>  
> 
> ~~(Fingers crossed for the rest, ahaha)~~
> 
>  
> 
> I _like_ playing with no power!aus. :]
> 
> (Chapter title from It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year)

“Hey, Lise,” Len greets as he enters her hospital room, and Lisa wrinkles her nose playfully before opening her eyes, seemingly without any effort this time.

 

“Not that I don’t love you, Lenny,” she rasps out, “but seeing only your face every day is getting kind of old. Anything we can do about that?”

 

Len rolls his eyes at her droll tone, though secretly warmth blossoms in his chest whenever more aspects of Lisa’s personality shine through as the days pass and she recovers more and more. “Am I not pretty enough for you?” he drawls, and Lisa snorts.

 

“No offense, but you’re just not my type. Aren’t there any cute nurses you could send my way?” she asks hopefully.

 

“Not on your life.”

 

“Lenny! Come on,” Lisa pouts. Len stares back impassively.

 

“That hasn’t worked on me since you were nine, and you know it.”

 

Lisa sighs faintly, settling back more comfortably against the nest of pillows propping her up. “I know, I was just hoping that being in a hospital bed would work in my favor, here.” She peeks up at him as she speaks, a cautious spark of humor glinting in her eye.

 

Len pauses for the briefest of moments, then narrows his eyes at his sister. “Are you really trying to use your injury as a way to manipulate me into bringing you _eye candy_ because you’re _bored_?”

 

“Only if it works,” Lisa grins, unrepentant.

 

Len holds his stare for a minute longer, only relenting when she finally starts to squirm. “Try harder next time,” he dismisses, and Lisa laughs loudly, relief warring with indignation in her sparkling eyes as she reaches back for a pillow to throw at him.

 

“You’re the worst,” she informs him cheerily as he simply catches the pillow and pushes it between his back and the hard, awkward plastic of the visitors’ chair. “Go away, and don’t come back until you bring me something pretty to look at. Or bring Mick, I can at least talk _him_ into things.”

 

Len scoffs. “Fine, I can see when I’m clearly not wanted,” he teases, and grins as Lisa laughs again.

 

-x-

 

Lisa’s eyes have fluttered almost-shut three times in the last ten minutes, and Len’s just about to suggest he leave and come back tomorrow when a gentle knock on the door sounds and a nurse pokes her head in.

 

“Hi, you two,” she says, smiling as Lisa blinks owlishly, attempting to rouse herself. “I’m not interrupting anything, am I?”

 

Len shakes his head as Lisa waves her in with a sleepy smile. “What’s up, Shawna? Are you here to save me from my brother’s terrible sense of humor?”

 

“Your jokes are just as bad as his, don’t even play,” Nurse Shawna rejoins without batting an eye. Len chuckles at the look of mock outrage Lisa sends her.

 

“I get no love around here,” Lisa complains mildly. The nurse raises an eyebrow at her, brandishing a medium-sized cookie tin she had hidden behind her back. Lisa perks up instantly.

 

“Oh, well, I guess I’ll just take these goodies elsewhere then…” she trails off, grinning impishly.

 

“Goodies, what goodies?” Lisa says, eagerly eyeing the tin.

 

“Oh, just a bunch of baked Christmas goods that a wonderful specimen of human generosity decided to bestow upon us,” Shawna says nonchalantly. She steps up beside Len’s seat, handing him the tin and ignoring Lisa’s grabby hands.

 

Len opens it, raising his eyebrows once he gets a good look inside. “Someone made all of this?”

 

“Twenty tins full of goodies,” Shawna confirms, and Lisa whistles, looking impressed.

 

“And you’re special enough to get one, all on your own?”

 

The nurse winks. “What can I say, I’m a charmer. And it’s not like I’m not sharing with you, right?”

 

Len takes out a cookie and bites into it idly. His eyes widen, and Shawna laughs at the look on his face. He passes the tin to Lisa, who grabs at it and immediately shoves a cookie in her mouth.

 

“Oh my god,” she mumbles through her chewing. “What the hell, this is amazing.”

 

“Barry makes the best Christmas cookies,” Shawna nods sagely. Seeing their confused looks, she smiles and elaborates: “Barry Allen—his dad’s a doctor here, I think you’ve met him? Anyway, he works at CCPD, volunteers here whenever he can. Goes _nuts_ around the holidays, which always means lots of caroling, and _lots_ of sweets. Bad for our figures, but great for morale around here.”

 

“That’s… actually really awesome,” Lisa says thoughtfully around another mouthful of cookie. “Was he with the singers that came through yesterday?”

 

Shawna nods her assent. “They come through pretty much every day, from right after Thanksgiving straight up until Christmas, a few songs on every floor. They’re incredible, aren’t they?”

 

“Their wardrobe, not so much,” Len mutters, remembering the bright green monstrosity of a sweater, and Shawna laughs, clearly knowing what Len means.

 

“Still, it’s sweet,” she insists.

 

“Absolutely,” Lisa declares, and she chomps down on another cookie decisively.


	3. and since we've no place to go

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoops, tiny bit late with this one, sorry -- I'm counting it as a win anyway, since I haven't actually gone to bed yet today (and hopefully this slip isn't indicative of me slipping up with further chapters, ahaha). I've got the rest of it pretty much mapped out though, so fingers crossed I can actually stay on schedule!
> 
> Teeny tiny chapter today -- what can I say, it ended where it wanted to end, and also, I love the Snart siblings wayyyyy too much. But I think (I hope) tomorrow's is gonna be longer! <3
> 
> (Chapter title from Let It Snow)

The hospital room is quiet—but in a comfortable, pleasantly relaxed way, as opposed to the bleakness that blanketed every breath Len had taken in the weeks before Lisa had woken up. It’s such a marked contrast that it takes Len several minutes to realize that Lisa is humming quietly under her breath—stiltedly, as if lost in thought.

 

Len listens to her admittedly enjoyable harmony for a moment longer before furrowing his brow in consternation as he recognizes the tune. “Is that… _Let It Snow_?”

 

“Hm?” Lisa glances up, blinking, then snorts at the look on Len’s face. “Shut up, Lenny. That group of carolers were here earlier, and I’ve got the damn song stuck in my head.”

 

Len smirks. “How very festive of you.”

 

Lisa rolls her eyes, then abruptly closes them as she hides a giant yawn behind one hand. “Sorry,” she mumbles, “guess I’m more tired than I thought.”

 

“Nothing to apologize for,” Len says dismissively, and Lisa relaxes into a grin. “How’s PT?”

 

Lisa groans, thumping her head back into the always-present mound of pillows behind her. “Therapy is such a _bitch_. I know it’s necessary,” she adds hurriedly, just as Len opens his mouth, “I’m not an idiot. It’s just…” She sighs, letting exhaustion seep into her face and sag her shoulders. “It’s rough.”

 

“It’s gonna take time, you know,” Len warns cautiously—he knows, better than most, how his sister can set unrealistically high expectations for herself, and be absolutely crushed when she fails to meet them in what she believes is a timely manner.

 

Lisa closes her eyes wearily. “I know,” she murmurs, grinning a little self-deprecatingly. “Not like I can forget it, can I?”

 

“That’s the spirit,” Len says wryly. He glances beyond Lisa to the window just past her, and grimaces at the harsh flurry of snowflakes beating against the panes. Lisa follows his gaze, wrinkling her nose as a particularly harsh gust of wind shakes against the window.

 

“It’s coming down like crazy out there,” she remarks around another yawn. “Gonna stay here a while?”

 

“Might as well,” Len confirms, eyes still transfixed on the storm outside. “Mick’s got my bike anyway—like hell am I gonna walk home in this.”

 

Lisa smiles softly, letting her eyes droop. “You know the docs’ll let you use the on-call room again, if you need.”

 

“I know, sis.” Len smiles too, gentler than he’s generally comfortable with—but for Lisa, he’d do (and _has_ done) much more than simply open himself up more around her.

 

“Go—” Another jaw-cracking yawn, and Lisa waves him away. “Go down to the cafeteria, go get a coffee or some shitty hospital food. Talk to someone who isn’t me, for once.”

 

“I talked to Dr. Allen earlier this week,” Len says amusedly, even as he rises from his chair.

 

“Yeah, yeah.” Lisa’s eyes close, and they don’t reopen. “Doesn’t count. Go find… someone cute…” Her breathing evens out, and Len smiles once more, leans down to brush a lock of hair back from her peaceful face, and quietly takes his leave.

 

Never in a million years would Len willingly subject himself to the truly dismal quality of food here, but hot cocoa _does_ sound good...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The good news is, Len will (finally) meet Barry next chapter! <3


	4. but maybe just a half a drink more

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Late again, sorry, and also another short one. :/ In my defense, work sucks and I am v v tired. That is all, thank you and goodnight. <3
> 
> (Chapter title from Baby It's Cold Outside, which, fun fact, is actually one of my favorite Christmas songs of all time)

The hospital cafeteria isn’t very crowded when Len enters, but over the course of the next hour and a half (and three cups of steaming hot chocolate later), the room steadily fills up until Len blinks and realizes that the only marginally empty table in the room is the one at which he’s seated.

 

But not for long, apparently, as a lone figure soon approaches him. “Hey, hi, uh—d’you mind if I sit here?”

 

Len looks up, and it takes him a minute to place the vaguely familiar face. “You’re Dr. Allen’s son,” he says instead of answering, and the boy blinks at his nearly accusatory tone.

 

“You know my dad?”

 

“Barely, and only because he keeps an eye on my sister when he doesn’t need to.”

 

“Oh, uh, right. Okay.” The kid—man, Len supposes, though his face looks extraordinarily young—clearly has no idea what to do with this information, and Len represses a sigh, raising an eyebrow and gesturing at the seat across from him wearily.

 

“Have a seat, kid.”

 

“Thanks!” he says, plopping down in the chair without any further ado. “I’m Barry, although I guess you—kind of knew that, already? Which, I mean, that’s totally not weird or anything—”

 

Len actually does sigh this time. “Chill out, I wasn’t stalking you or anything.”

 

“No?” Barry only looks half-convinced.

 

“ _No_. Name’s Len. My sister's a patient here.”

 

Barry scrutinizes Len a moment longer, then apparently decides to let it go completely. “Nice to meet you, Len.” He grins, taking a sip from one of the two styrofoam cups in his grip. “So what brings you here?”

 

“You mean besides the five-star cuisine?” Len deadpans, and Barry snorts, looking a little abashed.

 

“Alright, stupid question,” he concedes, scrubbing a hand through his hair. Len smirks in agreement, and the pair fall into a fairly amiable silence, Len sipping contentedly at his cocoa and Barry idly drumming his fingers on the table between them.

 

Len snorts when he realizes Barry is tapping to the rhythm of _Jingle Bells_ ; Barry blushes slightly and stops, curling his fingers into a fist and knocking his knuckles twice against the wood of the table before visibly forcing them to still. He smiles a bit ruefully over at Len, who stares back in morbid fascination at the human livewire across from him.

 

“Too much coffee,” Barry explains sheepishly, wrapping his hands around his cup again.

 

“And yet,” Len replies sardonically, gesturing at the second cup resting by Barry’s elbow.

 

Barry laughs delightedly. “Oh, no,” he says, sending Len a secret little smile and jostling his cup a bit, “I’m limited to three cups of coffee a day—this is hot chocolate. And this—” Barry reaches for the second cup, popping the lid off and tilting the opening toward Len.

 

The cup is full to the brim of marshmallows. Barry grins and pops a few into his mouth, offering the cup to Len in the next moment.

  
Len decides, as he plucks a handful of marshmallows from the cup, that he likes this kid.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had to. :3

**Author's Note:**

> I haven't been on it much ~~at all~~ lately, but come say hi on [tumblr](http://that-pumpkinspicewhitegirl.tumblr.com)!


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